Longest-serving justice on Delaware Supreme Court to retire

WILMINGTON, Del (Reuters) - The longest-serving member of Delaware's Supreme Court, Randy Holland, announced his plan to retire at the end of March, according to a statement from the court on Thursday.

Holland, 70, joined the five-member court as the youngest ever to serve in 1986 and became the longest-serving member in 2009.

A replacement will be nominated by Governor John Carney, who took office last month, and must be confirmed by the state's senate. Justices serve 12-year terms.

"I just feel that after 30 years it is time to retire," said Holland in a statement. "I’m looking forward to pursuing other opportunities, like teaching."

A majority of publicly traded U.S. companies are chartered in Delaware and the court plays a key role interpreting the state's corporate law and has decided many billion dollar merger disputes.

The court recently dismissed a $171 million investor lawsuit against pipeline operator Kinder Morgan Inc and revived a lawsuit against Zynga Inc's controlling shareholder, Mark Pincus, over sales of the social gaming company's stock.

The court is also expected to rule in the coming months on a heated lawsuit that could decide control of one of the world's largest translation services companies, TransPerfect Global Inc.

Holland was the remaining justice on the court who had been appointed prior to Leo Strine becoming the court's chief justice in 2014. Strine was elevated from the role of chancellor, or chief judge, of the Court of Chancery, which specializes in corporate disputes.